The Guildford Hotel

The historic Guildford Hotel celebrated its grand reopening in May after a fire in 2008 caused an estimated $1.5 million in damages to the heritage listed building.

The destruction of the much beloved hotel caused a lot of heartache in the town of Guildford. The hotel was fenced off and left in a dilapidated state for years while discussions continued about who was going to pay to fix it.

In 2014 restoration finally began after the WA Heritage Council gave approval for a partial re-roofing and the state government agreed to contribute $100,000 towards its redevelopment.

The Guildford Hotel dates back to the 1830s. Its first location was where the fish market reserve now stands. It later relocated to near the Guildford Grammar School. In 1883 it opened in its present location across the road from the railway station.

Once work began on restoring the hotel the WA Heritage Council provided the owners with advice on how to stabilise the building and to ensure that its history would be preserved and woven into the reconstruction efforts.

Original tiles, fireplaces, doors, windows, convict made bricks and charred wooden beams were all retained and included in the re-design.

The gamble to restore the Guildford Hotel has definitely paid off. It has been a roaring success since its re-opening. When we tried to go on a Saturday night there were over 700 people already inside and a huge line of people waiting to get in.

If you want to experience what the Guildford has to offer my advice would be to go on a weeknight. When we went on a Wednesday night around 5pm it was pretty empty and we were able to get a table without a fuss. They serve hamburgers, sandwiches and chips: your typical sort of pub food. We had hamburgers and chips and they came out very quickly and were very tasty!

All children’s meals cost $12 and come with a fruit box. Kids can choose from tacos, fish and chips, cheese burgers or chicken pops. Icy poles are an extra $3 each. When we went there for my dinner my little girl was given a bag with crayons, stickers, and colouring-in sheets to keep her busy while we waited for our food.

If you’re looking for somewhere new to take the kids for a bite to eat consider dropping into the Guildford Hotel on a quiet afternoon. It’s worth the visit.